Heat exchange method for melting plate candle

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to melting plate candles which employ heat conductive elements to distribute heat from a burning flame at a wick to a support plate for a solid fuel and to the body of said solid fuel, so as to more rapidly liquefy the solid fuel, such as paraffin wax, and to more uniformly and intensely heat such fuels to increase the efficiency of consumption thereof and to more rapidly release volatile materials contained within said fuels. The heat conductive support plate is configured so as to have a capillary pedestal upon the surface thereof, which cooperatively engages a wick holder comprising a preferably consumable wick and heat conductive fins which conduct heat from a flame upon said wick to said support plate, said wick holder further engaging said capillary pedestal in such a locking manner as to resist accidental removal from said pedestal. The fuel may be provided in various forms, configured to cooperatively engage said wick holder and support plate, and may comprise various volatile materials. The capillary pedestal, in conjunction with the wick holder, causes rapid and complete flow of the liquefied fuel to said wick, and the capillary pedestal and wick holder are shaped so as to provide for variance of capillary flow between them when the wick holder is rotated relative to the capillary pedestal.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a Continuation-In-Part of Ser. No. 10/939,039, filedSep. 10, 2004 now abandoned.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a means for providing an improved heatexchange method utilizing a wick clip or wick holder assembly in amelting plate candle or other candle assembly, having a replaceable wickand/or fuel puck. This invention is most particularly designed to beused in a melting plate candle having means to provide a capillary feedbetween the wick holder and the melting plate, as well as in jar candlesor conventional container candles, and provides means to adjust theflame size and burn rate of such a melting plate candle.

2. Description of the Related Art

Clips which locate and secure wicks for candles and for devices whichdispense vapors into the ambient air are well known in the art, anduseful in many applications. In candles, such clips provide a means toposition the wick for the most efficient provision of fuel, such ascandle wax, to the flame, while in vapor dispensing devices, such wickclips secure a wick by which a vaporizable liquid is delivered from areservoir to an exposed surface.

More recently, melting plate candles and simmer plate dispensers havebeen used to provide rapid melting of a solid fuel element and/or rapiddispensing of a vaporizable material to the atmosphere. An example ofsuch a dispensing device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,382, issuedAug. 24, 2004, in which a dispenser for active materials is shown. Thisreference, incorporated herein by reference, illustrates a melting platedispenser of volatile materials comprising a solid fuel containingactive material, a consumable wick, and a heat conductive base havingconductive elements, and the configuration of such elements.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,707, issued Oct. 12, 2004, a melting plate candlecomprising solid fuel, a consumable wick, a concave melting platecomprising a lobe by which heat is conducted from the flame upon thecandle to the plate, and the configuration of such elements, are shown.

In addition to the above, application Ser. No. 10/780,028, filed Feb.17, 2004, teaches a candle comprising solid fuel, a melting plate, alobe that engages a wick holder which comprises a wick and whichconducts heat to said lobe and to said melting plate. In thisapplication, said wick holder engages said lobe in such a manner as tocreate a capillary flow of melted fuel to the wick itself.

In each of the above references, the melting plate candle provides arelatively rapid means for heating the solid fuel to its melting point,thereby improving efficiency of the candle. However, it has now beenfound that even more efficient, and more particularly, more rapidmelting of the solid fuel may be achieved by means of specificmodifications of the wick holding device.

In application Ser. No. 10/939,039, filed Sep. 10, 2004, of which thepresent application is a continuation-in-part, and which is incorporatedherein in its entirety, a specific combination of measures to extractheat from the flame on the candle wick and to more efficiently deliversaid heat to the solid fuel element were taught. Specifically, theparent application recites the insulation of the heat conductive fins soas to prevent heat loss to the atmosphere, with said heat conductivefins being configured so as to extract the maximum amount of heat fromthe flame on the wick of said candle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, designed for use with a candle holder ordispenser of actives as described above, but suitable for use with mostforms of container candles and/or dispensing devices, provides a meansfor a more rapid melting of the solid fuel element, resulting in a morerapid release of any volatile materials therein, and the creation of amore uniform pool of liquified fuel for consumption. This goal isachieved by a combination of specific measures to extract heat from theflame on the candle wick, and to more efficiently deliver said heat tothe solid fuel element, while providing the opportunity to adjust thedegree of capillary attraction of the fuel to the wick so as to modifyflame height.

Specifically, the preferred wick holder of the present inventioncomprises a wick holder designed to provide heat fins, a wickpositioning holder, and a base preferably designed to not only engage asimilarly shaped portion of the bottom of the container in such a manneras to prevent its easy displacement from the bottom of the container,but to also create a capillary flow of melted wax, or liquefied activecontaining material, between the wick holder itself and the portion ofthe bottom by which it is engaged. The heat fins of said wick holder areso designed as to be positioned in the main combustion zone of the flameupon the wick which is held by said wick holder. That is, the tips ofthe heat fins are so located as to be in the blue region of the flame,thereby obtaining the maximum heat from said flame. Various means toaccomplish this goal are available. First, one or both of the heat finsmay be so shaped as to curve inwardly to a position whereby the tipitself is in the flame. Secondly, a thin highly conductive metalelement, such as a metal strip or wire, may connect the tips of the heatfins and pass through the blue region of the flame, so as to extractheat therefrom even as the flame flickers.

Preferably, the engaging and positioning means for the wick clip,preferably located on the bottom of the container near the centerthereof, is a raised protrusion or pedestal, similar to a capillarylobe, and having a configuration by which the wick holder may be lockedin place. Alternatively, the engagement means may comprise a depressionin, or undercut portion of, the bottom of the container. Preferably, thewick holder may be held in place by magnetic means, such as taught inSer. No. 10/978,744, filed Nov. 1, 2004, in the names of Kubicek et al.,incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Alternatively, thewick holder may comprise a ring of plastic or metal which engages saidpedestal or depression, and has a portion which snaps over said pedestalin such a manner as to grip an undercut portion thereof. Alternatively,the wick holder may be designed so as to be inserted, with pressure,into a depression having a defined opening, and which then radiallyexpands to resist removal from said opening, or engages a wider portionof said depression in such a manner as to inhibit removal there fromwithout further radial compression of the wick holder. Exemplary of suchdesigns are spider-type legs, or a skirt, which can engage, or snaparound a central pedestal or bump having a depressed area between thetop of the pedestal and the bottom of the container. Other means forlockingly engaging the wick holder to the capillary pedestal, or thebottom surface, of the candle container are available, and preferablyconstitute means which will prevent accidental displacement of the wickholder, but which may be released so as to permit replacement of thewick holder at the discretion of the consumer. The present inventionspecifically provides for a means to adjust the gap between the wickclip and the pedestal by providing a means to rotate the wick clip abouta nonsymmetrical centering or capillary pedestal.

The present invention thus provides a candle or lamp device capable ofrapidly and completely melting a solid fuel to form a large liquid pool,thereby improving distribution of any volatile materials present in thefuel, and ensuring efficient and complete utilization of all of the fuelprovided, while providing increased safety and convenient refilling.Further, the concept of the present invention offers highly decorativeas well as functional candles and lamps, which may utilize a variety ofgel and solid fuels, with the significant advantages of permitting rapidand convenient replacement of one fuel element by another at the desireof the consumer, without the need to clean or scrape the container inwhich said candle is utilized to remove a body of unburned fuel afterthe bulk of the previous fuel element has been consumed, while providingmeans to control flow of fuel to the flame and thus controlling rate ofconsumption to some extent.

These and other embodiments of the invention shall be illustrated in thefigures and description which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the basic concept of a melting plate candle of theprior art, in simplified perspective view, of which the presentinvention constitutes an improvement.

FIG. 2 illustrates a basic melting plate candle, in simplified crosssection, absent the locking wick holder and improvements of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a simplified cross section of a melting plate candle, showingthe capillary pedestal, the locking wick holder with fins in accordancewith the present invention, and the relationship between the elements.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a melting plate having a capillarypedestal, with a wick holder as described herein with fins andincorporated wick, and a fuel element.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled melting plate, wickholder, and fuel element of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the rotating lever means for adjustingthe capillary gap area of the wick clip upon the capillary lobe.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a melting plate having a capillarypedestal, with a wick holder as described herein, wherein the capillarypedestal and the wick holder are not complimentary in shape.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of an embodiment having a melting plate withan oval capillary pedestal.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along lines 9-9 of FIG. 3with portions behind the plane of the cross-section of FIG. 8 not shownfor clarity, showing the wick holder and the capillary pedestal in aposition, wherein there is limited capillary action.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along lines 10-10 of FIG. 3,showing the wick holder and the capillary pedestal of FIG. 8 in anotherposition with portions behind the plane of the cross-section not shownfor clarity, wherein there is greater capillary activity between thecapillary pedestal and the wick holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Ordinary candles comprise a vertical, self-supporting body or column ofwax, with a substantially horizontal top and a central longitudinal wickwhich extends through and above the wax. The exposed portion of the wickabove the solid wax is lighted by a flame, and the heat generated by theflame melts a small volume of the wax at the top of the candle, adjacentthe wick, establishing a puddle or reservoir of molten wax to serve asfuel for the flame on the wick, and to release any volatile activespresent therein. The capillary attraction of the molten wax and thewick, which is generally a structure of closely related fibers, causesthe molten wax to travel through the wick to the flame, by which it isconsumed. As the wax is consumed in this manner, the body of waxdiminishes and the top surface thereof progressively lowers. The upperportion of the wick, extending above the lowering wax, is generallyconsumed by the flame. The flame in such a candle remains in the sameposition relative to the horizontal center of the candle, but decreasesin height relative to the surface upon which the candle rests, from thestart to the end of the burn, at which time all or at least most of thewax has been consumed.

Also well known are such candles as votive candles and tea lights. Forpurpose of discussion, tea lights shall be considered to be relativelysmall candles in which a body of paraffin is located in a container,having a wick centrally disposed, while votive candles shall beconsidered to be candles of similar size provided without a container.At the lower end of the wick is typically found a wick clip having aflat horizontal bottom surface, which functions to retain the wick inits perpendicular position, even as the paraffin is melted and liquefiedby the heat of the flame. In most such votive candles and tea lights,the wick is a cotton material saturated with paraffin, and burns withthe paraffin, thus being consumable. In such candles, or lights orwarmers employing the same, the visible flame moves lower, or closer tothe bottom surface of the container as the fuel and wick are consumed,down to the level of the bottom of the wick. Further, after consumptionof all of the wax above this point in the unit, the container (of thetea light), the unburned wax, and the wick clip remain to be disposed ofby the consumer. As a safety consideration in such candles, the wick isnormally crimped or terminated at a point about 0.25 inches above thebottom of the wax, so as to cause the flame to extinguish above thebottom of the container, and to thus prevent the heat of the flame fromreaching the surface upon which the candle is positioned, preventingdamage to such surface, and reducing the likelihood of igniting possiblecontaminants such as burnt matchsticks remaining at the bottom of thecandle, or carbonaceous remains of the consumable wick. Such anarrangement also has the detriment of leaving a small volume of unburnedwax in the bottom of the container when the flame extinguishes.

As utilized herein, the term melting plate candle shall encompass thecombination of a solid fuel element and a heat conductive container orholder for the fuel. The terms fuel container and fuel holder shall bemeant to encompass a support plate or melting plate comprising means tocontain and melt the fuel element, and a wick holder engaging a wick andsaid support plate, said wick holder comprising heat conductiveelements, such as fins, referred to hereinafter as either wick fins orheat fins. Said wick holder shall also encompass a base having meanssuch as magnetic means of a skirt or legs configured to engage acomplimentarily shaped pedestal portion of the support plate, and totransfer heat from a flame upon said wick to said melting plate. Thus,the support plate functions to hold the fuel element, to retain the wickholder, and to conduct heat to the solid fuel element to thereby meltsaid fuel element to provide a liquid fuel to feed to the flame via thewick. Moreover, the base portion of the wick holder engages, by the useof legs or skirt means, a pedestal on the surface of said support ormelting plate in such a manner as to resist detachment from the meltingplate, while also providing a means for transporting liquid fuel fromthe support plate to the wick by capillary action. Thus, the pedestal towhich the wick holder is attached may be referred to as a capillarypedestal, whereas in conventional melting plate candles, in which nolocking or attachment means is present to secure the wick holder to thebase of the melting plate, the wick holder may be said to engage acapillary lobe. The capillary pedestal of the present invention may thusbe considered to be a capillary lobe having an undercut or other meansby which a wick holder may be engaged so as to resist accidentaldisplacement. The wick holder may thus be considered to be locked inplace to the capillary pedestal, although it is removable by theconsumer for replenishment of the wick and/or the fuel element, byexertion of sufficient force to overcome the engaging pressure. As willbe appreciated, the manufacturer may provide melting plate devices,wicks and wick holder assemblies, and solid fuel elements, eithertogether, or independently (separately), and the consumer may join theseparate elements to form a melting plate candle, fuel burner, ordispenser of active materials, with the option to change wicks and fuelelements at will. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wick,wick holder, and fuel element may be provided as a unitary replacementelement to be utilized with a separately provided melting plate.

An element of the present invention constitutes a capillary pedestal onthe melting plate, which pedestal provides a locating device for acomplementarily shaped wick holder, creates a site for capillary feed offuel to the wick, and provides a means for heat transfer from the flameto both the melting plate and the solid fuel. The wick holder, inaddition to providing a mounting means for the wick, has a base whichclosely conforms to the capillary pedestal in such a manner as to createa capillary feed by which melted wax flows to the wick as fuel.Moreover, the capillary pedestal of the present invention is configuredso as to engage said wick holder in such a manner that it may not beeasily or accidentally removed from said pedestal. This may beaccomplished magnetically, for example, or by means of an undercut inthe side of the pedestal, which undercut engages a complimentarilyshaped leg or skirt of the wick holder, which leg or skirt may be madeof a resilient material, such as a heat conductive metal, which isbiased inwardly on the pedestal in the area of the undercut therein, soas to resist removal. This capillary pedestal and locking mechanism isset forth and claimed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/938,434,filed Sep. 10, 2004, in the names of Kubicek et al.

In addition to the base and/or skirt of the wick holder being a heatconductive element, the wick holder preferably also provides anadditional heat conductive element such as a fin or fins, which are inclose proximity to, or in contact with the flame, and thereby conductthe maximum possible heat back to the wick holder base, and thus to thecapillary pedestal, and thereby to both the melting plate and the fuel.It is to be understood that this arrangement of elements provides formuch greater control of the degree of heating of the pool of melted wax,and the pool temperature, by virtue of the ability to control the amountof heat conducted to the pool by either the skirt of the wick holder orby the fins thereof. This may be accomplished by selection of the numberof fins, for example, or control of the conductivity thereof, such as bychoice of position relative to the flame, or material of construction.This in turn is most important in candles which dispense a volatilematerial, such as a fragrance, where a rapid temperature rise to themost effective temperature for volatilization of the active material isdesired. Such a rapid temperature rise clearly results in a more rapidmelt of the fuel element, and a more rapid dispensing of volatilematerial. In fact, with the present invention, it is possible to tailora melting plate candle to a specific volatile active to be containedwithin a fuel element, by permitting control of the amount of heatconducted to the pool of melted fuel, and thus controlling thetemperature thereof.

The material of which the melting plate and the heat fins are fashionedshould be of high thermal diffusivity, i.e. have high thermalconductivity, low density, and low specific heat. It has been found thatthe material of the wick clip should have a thermal capacity above 0.10cal/° C. but below 0.30 cal/° C. Such low thermal capacities decreasethe melt time associated with melting the solid fuel element, and highervalues tend to starve a newly initiated flame of heat, causing it toextinguish. The preferred materials may be such metals as aluminum andcopper. By use of such metals, one obtains the least resistance to heattransfer from the flame to the puck. Moreover, the region of said finsbetween the flame and the wax or the base of the wick holder should beinsulated, so as to prevent loss of heat to the surrounding atmosphere,by either radiation or convectional means. The insulating material maybe any conventional non-combustible material which may be readilyapplied to the surface of the heat fins, by any conventional method. Inaddition, it is beneficial to extend one or more portions of the wickholder base outward into the wax puck, so as to preferably transfer heatdirectly to the fuel element, rather than to the melting plate base.This also has the benefit of minimizing the supply of liquified fuel tothe wick near the exhaustion of the fuel supply, thereby reducing thelikelihood of flaring or re-ignition of the candle at the end of itslife. Still another factor of the effectiveness of the transfer of heatfrom the heat fin to the solid fuel is the size of the heat fin,specifically with respect to surface area. The cross sectional area ofthe fins should be large enough to efficiently convey the collectedheat. During the melting of the fuel element, it is desired that theheat transfer between the fin and the fuel be maximized, so relativelylarge horizontal surfaces are desirable. After the fuel has melted andformed a pool of liquid, it is desirable to minimize the heat transferfrom the fins to the pool. The relationship between the horizontal wickclip area and the fuel element, or votive, may be represented by the socalled “Quasivoto factor”, defined as the fin surface area divided bythe vertical cross section of the votive. For most efficientutilization, the “Quasivoto factor” should be greater than 0.25 but lessthan 0.75 before the fuel element is melted, and between 0.125 and 0.25after the fuel element has fully melted. Advantage may be taken of thevariable height of the molten pool of fuel by shaping the heat fins soas to be wide in the pre-melt pool, but narrower in the post melt pool.Still further, it has been calculated that the total cross sectionalarea of the fins at a point corresponding to the height of the wickshould be less than approximately ¼ the cross sectional area of the finsat a height corresponding to the surface of the solid fuel element, fora wick clip having a thermal diffusivity between 1×10⁻⁵ and 15×10⁻⁵ m²per second.

Alternative aspects of the present invention provide for the fuelelement to be provided as a separate element which is complementarilyshaped relative to the wick holder, so as to fit around the wick holderin its position on the capillary pedestal of the melting plate. While itis possible for a permanent wick and wick holder assembly to be providedas a part of the melting plate, in the preferred embodiments of theinvention the wick holder, wick, and fuel element are provided to theconsumer as a single unit. Alternatively, the wick and wick holder maybe provided as a single unit, with individual separate fuel units,perhaps containing differing fragrances, for example, to be combinedwith a melting plate. In this manner, wick holders of differing shapeand configuration may be combined with fuel elements of appropriateconfiguration which differ in color or scent, for example.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been found beneficialto provide for variance of the gap between the wick holder and thecapillary lobe of the melting plate candle holder so as to allowadjustability thereof. This is most easily accomplished by providing acapillary lobe which is not fully symmetrical, i.e. is not totallycomplimentary to the shape of the wick holder, so that as the wickholder is rotated upon the capillary lobe, areas of greater or lesscapillary activity between the two exist. In this manner, it is possibleto vary the amount of capillary action occurring during the burning ofthe candle, and thus to vary the flow of melted fuel to the wick itself.In any case, it is advantageous that the highly heat conductive heatfins are so positioned as to capture the maximum heat output of thecandle flame, by being located in the blue region of the flame, that theheat fins be insulated in the area between the flame and the solid fuelelement, with which the heat fins are in direct contact, and thatmaximum release of the heat from the wick fins to the solid fuel elementbe achieved. This may preferably be achieved by forming leaves orbranches which extend from the fins, or from the wick holder base towhich the heat fins attach, into the solid fuel element itself. Ofcourse, the heat fins may also be so shaped as to maximize surfacecontact thereof with the solid fuel.

Accordingly, it is evident that the melting plate is preferablycomprised of a heat conductive material, such as a metal, although lessconductive materials, such as glass or ceramic may be employed. Thepreferred material for use as the melting plate is polished aluminum,due to its high efficiency as a conductor of heat, its light weight, andfor aesthetic reasons. It is also possible that the melting plate mayconstitute a non-conductive body having a conductive surface appliedthereto, such as a less conductive surface having a thin layer of metalapplied thereto. In this regard, it is noted that the surface of themelting plate may also have a coating of a surface tension modifyingmaterial applied thereto for purposes of preparing a self cleaning oreasy cleaning melting plate. For example, a thin layer of apolytetrafluoroethylene material may be applied over a rough surface toprovide a smooth wetting surface upon which molten wax will flow easily,and which will enable easy removal of solidified wax upon extinguishingthe flame and allowing the candle to cool.

The melting plate, which may act both as a fuel container and a heattransfer means to heat the fuel, is shaped so as to collect the meltedor liquefied fuel at its lowest point, at which point a wick ispreferably located by means of a wick holder positioned upon a capillarypedestal, so as to ensure that all fuel is fed to the wick, whereby themaximum consumption of the fuel is achieved. Thus, the melting plate ispreferably shaped as a bowl, or in the form of a funnel, with the lowestportion thereof preferably, but not necessarily, centered. The entireinterior surface of the fuel container is preferably highly heatconductive, and supports, contains, and heats the fuel, althoughcontainers in which only a small portion of the interior surface acts asa melting plate are within the scope of the present invention. Candlesemploying such melting plates shall be referred to, collectively, asmelting plate candles. The melting plate itself may, of course, beessentially flat, with raised edges or a surrounding wall to contain themelted fuel.

Moreover, the melting plate helps to control the shape and depth of thepool of fuel which is burned at the wick, and to maintain the constancythereof. It is to be understood that the fuel utilized in the presentinvention may be initially in solid or gel form, but must be in liquidform for moving up the wick by capillary action to the flame, where itis consumed. Thus, the fuel used with the melting plate candle shall besuch that it will not be transported by wicking action at ambient orroom temperature, but requires heating to a liquefied state, i.e.melting, to be subject to capillary or wicking action. For convenience,the term solid fuel shall be used hereinafter to refer to fuel in eithera gel or conventional solid state, such as conventional candle wax,preferably in the form of a hard, shaped body or “puck” of wax. It isalso to be understood that the fuel consumed in the flame at the burningwick is drawn by the wick from a liquid pool of fuel, which pool isformed by melting the solid fuel, and heating said liquid pool byconductive heat transfer from the melting plate and heat exchangeelements provided by the wick holder, in addition to the radiant heatfrom the flame on the wick. By the use of the melting plate and heat fintechnology of the present invention in addition to the conventionalradiant heating of the surface of the fuel, the size, volume, depth, andtemperature of the liquid pool of fuel are better regulated. And, as aresult of greater control of heat transfer to the fuel, a melted, liquidpool thereof is more rapidly formed and heated to a desired temperature.Because the speed of achieving a uniformly heated liquid pool of fuel isincreased, a more efficient consumption of the fuel results, and a morecomplete usage of available fuel due to the decrease of fuel leftunburned on the surface of the melting plate, as well as a more rapidand efficient release of any volatile active materials in said fuel,such as fragrances. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, apool of liquid, i.e. melted, fuel rests upon the surface of the heatconductive melting plate. This pool of fuel may initially containunmelted fuel in the solid state, as well as melted fuel, and theelevated temperature of the pool achieved by the present invention aidsin assuring a complete melting of the solid wax puck and complete andoptimized dispersal of any volatile active materials present in the fuel

Generally, the melting plate device embodies both a melting plate andsecondary heat conductive elements, which secondary elements are to beprovided as part of the wick holder and pass through or are in closeproximity to the flame, to ensure more uniform and rapid distribution ofheat from the flame upon the wick. The wick is affixed in its preferredposition by means of the wick holder. The wick, which is preferably aconsumable wick, may be any filamentary body which is sufficientlysturdy, which will burn with a steady flame, and which is capable ofdrawing up the molten candle fuel by capillary action. Such a wick maybe of any conventional consumable wick material, such as cotton,cellulose, nylon, or paper, but may be non-consumable as well. The wickholder and wick may preferably be located in the center of the candle,or may be off-center as desired. The presence of two or more wicks, andassociated wick holders and capillary pedestals, is also within thescope of the present invention. In the present invention, the wick ispreferably positioned in a wick holder which engages the melting plateby means of an appropriately located and shaped capillary pedestal onthe melting plate, which serves to locate the wick holder (and thus, thewick), to transmit heat from the flame on the wick to both the fuel andthe melting plate, and by means of the capillary nature of theappropriately sized gap formed by the fit of the pedestal inrelationship to the wick holder, to enhance flow of fuel to the wick.Moreover, the wick holder is preferably configured so as to also engagethe fuel element in a lock and key relationship and to position it onthe melting plate in the preferred location. The present invention,however, is directed to the adjustability of the capillary nature of thegap formed by the gap between the pedestal and the wick holder, whichmay be controlled by rotation of a symmetrical wick holder about anon-symmetrical pedestal, or, conversely, by the rotation of anon-symmetrical wick holder about a symmetrical pedestal. As the wickholder rotates about the pedestal, if one is non-symmetrical, some areasof the two will come into closer proximity, while other areas arefurther apart, causing the degree of capillary flow to vary. By properselection of the geometric configurations of the wick holder and thepedestal, it is possible to obtain a method by which one can rotate thewick holder in a given direction relative to the capillary pedestal toobtain a desired increase or decrease of flow of liquified fuel to thewick itself, and thus to effect a control upon the rate of consumptionof fuel, and the height of the flame upon the wick.

A heat conductive element constitutes the melting plate itself, whichmay comprise portions formed, raised, or bent to be in closer proximityto the flame, such as a raised section of the plate, e.g. the upper edgeof the raised side of the melting plate. For example, the melting platemay constitute a bowl shaped container having its outer periphery inclose proximity to the flame, such as a container in which the side wallof the bowl is formed so that the lip of the upper opening curves backtoward the center of the bowl, and thus toward the flame. The meltingplate may also have secondary heat conductive elements, such as one ormore raised portions which act not only to absorb and distribute heat byconduction, but to channel or direct the flow of liquid fuel to thewick. Such raised portions may constitute areas of material havinghigher heat conductivity than surrounding areas of the container. Insuch examples, the support plate may comprise a less conductivematerial, such as glass, and the principal heat exchange may be byradiant heat and conducted heat by means of the secondary heatconductive elements of the wick holder. It may thus be seen that thewick holder assembly, comprising a wick, and a fuel element, inconjunction with a base configured so as to complimentarily engage acapillary pedestal, may be utilized in any candle container comprising acapillary pedestal.

In the present invention, a capillary pedestal both engages andpositions the aforementioned wick, wick holder, and fuel element in sucha manner as to provide the most advantageous positioning thereof, aswell as to create a capillary flow of melted fuel from the melting plateto the wick positioned in the wick holder, which is placed in such closerelationship to the capillary pedestal as to create a very narrow gapbetween the pedestal and the wick holder. By virtue of this narrow gap,which may be from approximately 0.01 to about 0.04 inches, preferablyabout 0.02 inches, liquefied fuel rises to the wick for consumption.However, if one of either the wick holder or the pedestal is “out ofround”, e.g. oval, it is clear that the capillary gap will not beuniform through out its circumference about the pedestal. While itshould be noted that it is within the scope of the invention that thecapillary action may be improved as a result of grooves cut in thepedestal, or in the wick holder, and that the wick holder may be heldaway from the pedestal by the presence of appropriately positioned andsized bumps located on either the pedestal, the wick holder, or themelting plate, the present invention is specifically directed to theconcept of varying the capillary gap between the wick holder and thepedestal by means of rotation of the holder about the pedestal.Moreover, the capillary forming combination of elements may constitute aconcave depression in the melting plate, rather than a raised malepedestal, and the wick holder in such case may be an appropriatelyshaped male member which fits within the depression so as to create acapillary gap between the members, by which fuel is fed to the wick, andhaving engagement means to prevent its accidental removal from saiddepression. Still further, it is contemplated that the capillarypedestal, in a male configuration, or a female depressed configuration,need not constitute a circular member, but may be of any shape, such asfor example cylindrical, pyramid shaped, square, oval, triangular, orany other desired shape, in combination with a like-shaped andappropriately dimensioned wick holder and locking means, which inaccordance with the present invention is not totally complimentary inshape, but varies sufficiently in shape from the pedestal or depressedarea of engagement to provide variance of capillarity between the two indifferent circumferential locations. It is also to be noted that thecapillary pedestal need not transmit liquid fuel to the wick at allparts of the perimeter of the capillary pedestal. For example, acircular capillary pedestal in conjunction with a circular wick holderneed only create a capillary gap for a limited portion of itscircumference, such as for 90, 180, or 270 degrees. Thus, the wickholder need not be in a close enough proximity to the pedestalthroughout the total area of engagement therewith to provide a fullcapillary effect, but only in sufficient area to provide an adequateflow of fuel to the wick to maintain the flame upon said wick. This isof great importance in the present invention, wherein the wick holder isrotated about the pedestal so as to change the degree of capillary flowachieved.

Additionally, primary heat conductive elements are separate assemblieswhich are utilized in conjunction with the melting plate and consumablewick and wick holder. The primary heat conductive element may take theform of heat fins or heat conductive surfaces attached to the wickholder, and having either vertical or horizontal orientation or elementsof both. In preferred embodiments, such heat conductive elements areheated by direct contact with the flame, and conduct such heat to boththe melting plate and to the fuel so as to more efficiently heat thefuel. The heat conductive elements of the wick holder, hereinafterexemplified as heating fins, although not limited to fins per se, andintended to encompass other heat conductive extensions of the wickholder which may serve this function, may be of any highly heatconductive material, and may be either formed as an extension of thewick holder or joined to said wick holder in such a manner as to conductheat from the flame to that portion of the wick holder which is engagedby the capillary pedestal and/or the melting plate. The wick holder thuscomprises fins, a means to hold the wick, the wick, and a baseconfigured so as to engage the melting plate via a capillary pedestal orlobe, and to transfer heat from said fins to said melting plate. Whereplural fins are employed, which do not contact the flame itself, it ispreferred to join the upper tips of such fins by means of a highly heatconductive element, such as a metal wire or metal connecting piece.Suitable and exemplary, although clearly not the only possible heat finsare illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,282, issued Aug. 24, 2004,incorporated herein by reference. Moreover, the fins should be insulatedin that region below the flame in which they are exposed to the ambientatmosphere, so as to prevent radiation and loss of heat to thesurrounding area.

It is to be understood that the wick holder and associated primary heatconductive elements are meant to be so situated and shaped as to engageor interlock with a replaceable solid fuel element. In a similarfashion, the melting plate and/or the fuel container may be formed insuch a manner as to permit placement of fuel elements of specificconfiguration, such as wax pucks having a complementary configuration,for example, in a preferred position in proximity to the heat conductiveelements themselves, or to the wick holder, in such a manner as tomaximize heat transfer from the melting plate to said fuel elements. Inthe most preferred embodiment, additional heat conductive elements arepresent as an element of the wick holder, in the form of extending legsor leaves from the base of said wick holder into the body of the solidfuel element. In said most preferred embodiment of the invention, thereis a capillary pedestal present on the melting plate, positioned in sucha manner as to also transfer heat to the fuel element, and configured soas to engage a wick holder holding a consumable wick and having one ormore heat conductive fins, and a fuel element such as a wax puck.Further, the engagement of the wick holder with the capillary pedestalis such as to provide a capillary effect between the two for feedingfuel to the wick. In this embodiment, the consumer may purchase areplacement fuel element comprising a wax puck and a wick holder andwick, configured so as to engage a matching capillary pedestal on themelting plate in such a manner as to position the fuel element and thewick holder, and having a heat conductive element in the appropriatelocation to most efficiently melt the fuel element. Alternatively, theconsumer may purchase an assembly comprising a wick holder and wick,with separately available appropriately shaped fuel elements.

The use of the melting plate technology of the present invention mayalso provide such advantages as elimination of tunneling, significantreduction of retention of wax at the conclusion of the burn, andelimination of walking or off-center wicks, while also giving a largerpool of liquid wax with a relatively small flame in a relatively shorttime period. In addition, the container may be of almost any shapedesired, providing for great aesthetic possibilities. Since the fuelelement, either alone or in combination with a wick and wick holder, maybe provided as a separate unit, the consumer may be provided a greatnumber of choices as to the color, content, and nature of the fuel, andthe configuration of the fuel element may be varied to provide a largechoice of shapes, such as seasonably decorative items. For example,shapes such as pumpkins may be provided for Halloween, wreaths forChristmas, and flowers for all seasons. In addition, the fuel elementpreferably is configured as to cooperatively engage both the meltingplate and the wick holder, which wick holder in turn engages thecapillary pedestal on the melting plate, in such a manner as to providethe consumer the greatest degree of ease in placement of the fuelelement in optimal position in the melting plate candle, with the leastpossibility of incorrect placement. Further, the melting plate orsupport plate may have decorative features, such as designs, embossed,etched, printed, or stamped thereon.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a melting plate candle,wherein said candle comprises a container for a fuel element comprisinga fuel selected from the group consisting of paraffin, beeswax, montanwax, carnauba wax, microcrystalline wax, polyvinyl acetate, fattyalcohols, fatty acids, fatty esters, and gels incorporating such fuels,in a form selected from the group consisting of pucks, donuts, chips,slivers, balls, pellets, shavings, particulates, cubes, discs, threedimensional shapes, and wafers, or in any other suitable shape. Saidfuel element may optionally further comprise such volatile activematerials as fragrances, air fresheners, deodorizers, odor eliminators,odor counteractants, insecticides, insect repellants, herbals, medicinalsubstances, disinfectants, sanitizers, mood enhancers, aroma therapycompositions, and the like. Such solid fuel may be colored fordecorative effect, if so desired, and may be shaped to fit any givenconfiguration of melting plate and/or wick holder. For example, thebottom of a solid fuel element should be curved complementarily to theshape of the melting plate upon which it is to rest, and have meltingtemperatures above ambient, but below the flame temperature of a wickburning such fuel.

These and still other advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the description which follows, which description is merelyof preferred embodiments, and not indicative of the full scope of theinvention.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the broad concept of a melting plate candle inits most basic form, such as set forth in Ser. No. 09/747,525, filedDec. 20, 2000, incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Theteachings of said pending patent application do not illustrate thecapillary pedestal and wick holder assembly of the present invention,nor the primary heat conductive members comprising heat fins passingthrough the hottest region of the flame with regions thereof insulatedto prevent heat loss to the atmosphere. As illustrated, a heatconductive melting plate container, 2, is provided, which transfers heatobtained from the heat source, a flame (not shown) located on wick 3, bymeans of heat conduction, to the solid fuel element, 4, which rests uponthe surface of the melting plate. For purposes of illustration, and forclarity, but intending no limitation, the wick is illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2 as being of a relatively large diameter, rather than as a fibrouswick of small diameter. It is to be understood that the wick ispositioned within and attached to the solid fuel element, 4, such aswith a wick clip (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The melting plate, 2, asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is heated directly by a flame on the wick, 3, byradiation, as a result of the melting plate being shaped so as to have aportion, shoulder 18, in proximity to the flame, the diameter of themelting plate bowl being such as to permit the inner surfaces thereof toabsorb appreciable amounts of heat from the flame.

The melting plate of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shaped so as to have a raisedouter shoulder, 18, thereby containing the resultant pool of meltedfuel. It is to be understood that the melting plate may be in the formof a tray, bowl, concave plate, or other configuration which is capableof holding a pool of hot liquid fuel, and is preferably shaped so as tofunnel or channel the liquefied, i.e. melted, fuel to the wick. Themelting plate may constitute a container in itself, as shown, or may besurrounded by a separate container. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1and 2, the melting plate rests upon a non-conductive base, 11, or legsof non-conductive or insulating material, so as to permit placement upona table, counter, or other surface. The non-conductive base, asillustrated, comprises contact points, 12, so as to minimize the amountof contact between the base and the melting plate, and to create aninsulating air gap, 13, between the melting plate and the surface uponwhich the assembly rests.

The melting plate may be of any heat conductive material, such as brass,aluminum, steel, copper, stainless steel, silver, tin, bronze, zinc,iron, clad materials, heat conductive polymers, ceramics, glass, or anyother suitable heat conductive material or combination of suchmaterials. As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel is preferably located in directcontact with the surface of the melting plate, 2, which plate may, ifdesired, be constructed so as to have a non-conductive lower surface, sothat the melting plate may rest upon a table surface or such. Such aconfiguration may result from a clad material, a conductive meltingplate material coated on the external surface with a non-conductivematerial, a non-conductive material having an insert of a heatconductive material, or other suitable arrangements to permit themelting plate to be cool enough on the bottom surface to permit ease ofhandling, and/or placement upon surfaces not suitable for contact withheated bodies.

The wick, 3, preferably constitutes a conventional consumable wickingmaterial, such as such as cotton, cellulose, nylon, or paper, or thelike, which by capillary action will carry liquid fuel to the flame.Alternatively, non-consumable wicks may comprise such materials asporous ceramics; porous metals; fiber glass; metal fiber; compressedsand, glass, metal, or ceramic microspheres; foamed or porous glass,either natural or man-made, such as pumice or perlite; gypsum; andchalk. However, for purposes of the present invention, the use ofconventional consumable wicks is preferred. The wick, 3, may be locatedin the center of the melting plate, 2, or may be off-center as desired,provided that the melting plate is configured so as to channel or funnelmelted fuel to said wick. As illustrated, the wick may be positioned inconjunction with a starter bump, 6, of wax in the top surface of saidfuel element, 4, for ease of lighting. The presence of two or more wicksis also within the scope of the present invention. The wick is providedin conjunction with the wick holder assembly, the preferredconfiguration of the wick holder being such as to cooperatively engage acomplimentarily shaped capillary pedestal, 22, on the melting plate, asshown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, discussed hereinafter.

FIG. 3 illustrates a melting plate container, 2, comprising a concavebase, and having a raised pedestal or protrusion, 22, located near thecenter thereof, said pedestal being shaped so as to engage the legs orskirt, 23, of a wick holder, 7. The wick holder itself is comprised of acentral wick holding means, 5, a wick, 3, and heat fins, 9, located soas to absorb heat from a flame, 1, upon said wick mounted in said wickholder, and to permit flow of said heat from said flame to said base ofsaid melting plate container, 2, and to the solid fuel element, 4. Thetips of said wick fins are joined by a highly conductive wire, 8, orother highly conductive means. Further, the fins are provided withinsulated areas, 10, between a point below the contact of the fin withthe flame, or below the point of joinder by the conductive wire, to apoint near or below the surface of the solid fuel element. The legs orskirt, 23, of said wick holder fit in close proximity to the sides, 24of said pedestal, 22, and engage an undercut, 25, in the side surface ofsaid pedestal, by means of shoulder 26, in such a manner as to resistremoval there from. The legs or skirt, 23, and the base, 27, of saidwick holder and the sides, 24, and top, 28, of said pedestal are inclose proximity, so as to permit maximum resistance to separation, andso as to create a gap resulting in a capillary flow of melted wax fromthe bottom of the melting plate container, 2, to the top of saidpedestal, 28. In addition, highly heat conductive leaves or branches,16, extend outward from the bottom of said wick holder into the body ofthe fuel element, so as to assist in rapid melting thereof. Such leavesor branches are preferably of the same material as the base of said wickholder. The bottom, 27, of said wick holder is shown to be in closeproximity to the top, 28, of said pedestal, assuring a rapid and evenflow of liquefied fuel to the wick, held in position so as to contactsaid fuel by wick holding means 5. Although the invention is illustratedin terms of a melting plate candle, it may be equally as effective inthe context of a candle jar, tea light, or votive holder.

In FIG. 4, an exploded perspective view of the invention is shown, witha bowl shaped melting plate container, 2, which comprises a capillarypedestal, 22, located in approximately the center thereof. A wickholder, 7, is shown above the capillary pedestal, the wick holder beingshaped in such a manner as to fit closely over said capillary pedestal,and to tightly engage an undercut therein so as to be locked inposition. The wick holder, as illustrated, further comprises the wick,3, heat fins, 9, joined by wire 8, and a heat conductive leaf or wing16. A solid fuel element, 4, is shown, having a cut out portion, 6,through which the heat fin and wick assembly may pass, so as to placethe wick in close proximity to the top surface of said fuel element. Thesolid fuel element is shown as a wax puck, although other shapes mayclearly be used within the scope of the present invention. To preventdifficulty in lighting the wick, a starter bump of fuel may be providedin close proximity to the wick, 3. As illustrated in FIGS. 1, and 2,this bump is most easily molded directly into the shape of the fuelelement, and provides a ready source of liquid fuel to the wick when amatch or other appropriate source of flame is employed to start the wickburning, which source of flame will melt the starting bump to thuscreate an initial pool of liquid fuel.

FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 4 in operational configuration,showing the relationship of the elements in position for lighting of thewick, 3, wherein the melting plate, 2, is shown with a fuel element, 4,positioned on the capillary pedestal (22, not visible) and centeredaround a wick holder assembly with the heat transfer fin, 9, and wick,3, extending through the opening, 30.

FIG. 6 illustrates the specific concept of the present invention, inwhich the flame, 1, is in close proximity to fins 9, and wick holder 7is shown to be rotatable about the perimeter of the capillary pedestal,not shown, by means of lever 14.

FIG. 7 depicts an embodiment where the capillary pedestal 22 includesbumps 38 and the wick holder 7 includes grooves G formed between legs23. Some of the legs 23 extend out into the wax puck and some of thelegs conform to the shape of the capillary pedestal 22. The bumps 38 areappropriately positioned and sized such that the capillary space andcorresponding capillary activity between the legs 23 and the capillarypedestal 22 increases and decreases as the legs 23 rotate about thecapillary pedestal 22.

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate an embodiment having an out of round capillarypedestal 22 in the shape of an oval and a wick holder 7 that is notfully symmetrical to the shape of the capillary pedestal 22. Grooves Gdefined between the legs 23 provide a gap between legs 23, and the baseof the wick holder 7 is non-complementary in shape to the capillarypedestal 22. In a first rotational position, as shown in FIG. 9, thelegs 23 are spaced away from a flattened, or smaller diameter portion ofthe oval shape of the capillary pedestal to have minimal or no contactwith the capillary pedestal 22, which may result in a gap that is tolarge to sustain capillary action and thereby reduce overall capillaryaction between the capillary pedestal and the legs. In anotherrotational position, as shown in FIG. 10, the wick holder 7 is rotated90 degrees with the legs 23 opposite a more rounded, or larger diameterportion of the oval capillary pedestal 22. As shown in FIG. 10, the legsare spaced closer to and/or in contact with a larger area of thecapillary pedestal 22, which may result in a smaller gap thatfacilitates greater capillary action. It should be apparent to oneskilled in the art that the wick holder 7 can be rotated on thecapillary pedestal to any degree to control the size of the capillarygap and resulting capillary flow capacity.

Thus, when using a solid fuel, such as wax, in conjunction with a heatconductive wick holder, solid fuel refill units may be shaped to fit theshape of the melting plate, with a specific relationship to the wickholder, which itself is engaged with the melting plate by-a lockingmeans. For example, the melting plate may be a decoratively shapedcontainer, and wax may be provided in the form of refills specific forthe container shape selected, such as round, square, oval, rectangular,triangular, or otherwise, so shaped that the wick holder assemblyincorporated with the wax refill unit will fit and engage acomplementarily shaped capillary pedestal, with the wick holder assemblyfitting the capillary pedestal in such a manner that the capillary gapbetween the two may be varied by rotation of the wick holder relative tothe capillary pedestal.

The use of a melting plate with additional heat conductive elements,such as the partially insulated heat fins and joining wire illustrated,offers a number of distinct advantages. First, it permits a larger poolof liquid fuel, due to improved heat conduction into the fuel, whichresults in more rapid formation of the pool. This in turn allows betterregulation of the size and shape, as well as the temperature, volume,and depth of the liquefied wax pool to allow more efficient use of fuelspresent. In fact, melting plates of the present invention permit ease ofrefill, with little or no cleaning. In most instances, no cleaning isrequired, but if desired, the plate may be conveniently washed in amanner such as a dish, plate of bowl is washed, in a wash basin or in adishwasher. The use of a capillary pedestal in the heat plate, inconjunction with heat fins on the wick holder, also reduces oreliminates retention of solidified excess fuel when the candle isallowed to burn itself out, and permits more complete and uniformburning of fuel elements which are other than round, i.e. square, oval,triangular, or in the shape of a flower or decorative object, etc.Further, the melting plate technology in conjunction with a capillarypedestal and complimentary wick holder, results in devices which may beself extinguishing, and improvements in or elimination of typicalburning problems encountered with candles, such as tunneling, drowning,collapsing, cratering, and wick drift. Candles utilizing the meltingplate technology of the present invention are also more forgiving offormulation or process variances. And, more importantly, the presence ofa locking configuration of the wick holder and the capillary pedestalprovides a margin of safety and convenience not previously available.Still further, the rotational means to control the capillary gap, andthus the flow of melted fuel, between the pedestal and the wick holder,is not limited to melting plate candles which employ insulation ofportions of the wick fins or a joining wire between the fins, but isapplicable to any melting plate configuration employing a capillary orcentering pedestal and a wick holder assembly.

While the present invention has been described with respect to what areat present considered to be the preferred embodiments, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosedembodiments. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims. The scope of the following claims is to be accordedthe broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modificationsand equivalent formulations and functions.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The melting plate and heat conductive element candles of the presentinvention, utilizing a capillary pedestal and correspondingly shapedlocking wick holder having fins which contact the hottest portion of theflame upon the wick, but are elsewhere insulated to prevent heat loss,can be used in connection with a large variety of solid fuels. Theconductive materials of which the melting plate and heat fins may beconstructed are commonly available, and the various configurations arereadily produced. There is considerable interest for candles havingextended burn times, and for refillable candles or solid fuel lamps,particularly for melting plate candles which are resistant to accidentalrelease of the wick holder assembly.

1. A candle comprising a meltable solid fuel element, a melting plateupon which said fuel element rests, and a wick holder comprising a wickand heat conductive fins positioned so as to collect heat from a flameupon said wick and to conduct such heat to said fuel element and to saidmelting plate, said wick holder engaging said meltable solid fuelelement, wherein said wick holder and said capillary pedestal comprisemeans for causing variation of capillary flow of liquefied fuel from themelting plate to the wick by rotation of said wick holder relative tosaid capillary pedestal.
 2. The candle of claim 1, wherein said meansfor causing variation of capillary flow comprises means for adjusting acapillary gap between the wick holder and the capillary pedestal.
 3. Thecandle of claim 2, wherein said means for causing variation comprisesmeans to provide variance of capillarity between the wick holder and thecapillary pedestal at different circumferential locations of saidcapillary pedestal.
 4. The candle of claim 3, wherein said means toprovide variance comprises the capillary lobe including a first shapeand the wick holder comprising a second shape, wherein the second shapeat least partially surrounds a perimeter of the first shape, and whereinthe first shape is not totally complimentary to the second shape.
 5. Thecandle of claim 1, wherein said wick holder includes means for rotatingthe wick holder about an outer perimeter of the capillary pedestal.
 6. Acandle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said melting plate furthercomprises a raised heat conductive portion by which heat is conductedfrom a flame upon said wick to said melting plate and to said solid fuelelement, whereby a pool of heated liquid fuel is created, said meltingplate being configured to cause the flow of said heated liquid fueltoward said wick holder.
 7. The melting plate candle of claim 5, whereinsaid means for rotating comprises a lever extending from said wickholder by which said wick holder may be rotated about said capillarypedestal.
 8. The melting plate candle of claim 1, wherein said wickholder further comprises heat conductive members configured so as totransfer heat from said heat conductive fins to said solid fuel element.9. A candle comprising a meltable solid fuel, a support plate upon whichsaid fuel rests, and a pedestal located on said support plate whichcooperatively engages the base portion of a wick holder comprising awick, wherein said base portion at least partially surrounds a perimeterof said pedestal, said wick holder conducting heat from a flame uponsaid wick to said solid fuel and said support plate by means of heatfins which contact said flame, said wick holder engaging said pedestalin such a manner that rotation of the wick holder about the perimeter ofthe pedestal causes variation of capillary flow of fuel between saidpedestal and said wick holder.
 10. The candle of claim 9, wherein saidwick holder comprises a plurality of heat conductive fins in closeproximity to said flame.
 11. The candle of claim 10, wherein said finsare joined by a heat conductive element which passes through a tip ofthe flame.
 12. The candle of claim 10, wherein said meltable solid fuelcomprises a replaceable fuel element cooperatively engaging said supportplate, pedestal, wick holder, and heat conductive fins.
 13. The candleof claim 10, wherein said support plate further comprises a heatconductive portion by which heat is conducted from a flame upon saidwick to said solid fuel element, whereby a pool of heated liquid fuel iscreated, said support plate being configured to cause the flow of saidheated liquid fuel toward said wick holder.
 14. The candle of claim 9,wherein said support plate is treated so as to be self cleaning.